I have an 8 week old siberian husky male pup. He has already established that my husband is Alpha and that I'm 'next one down' in the pack, but the problem is that the pup appears to be trying to dominate my 10 year old daughter. He keeps snapping at her face, he then did the 'humping' movement and started tugging at her clothes. The more she tried to stop him and chastise him, the rougher he became. In hindsight, the pup's parents were not particularly calm and wondered if this was normal behaviour with the puppy trying to find his place within the pack or whether he is acting aggressively. This is obviously a worry, as when he becomes bigger and stronger and does this, is going to do some real damage.

My husband has already lost his trust in the dog, but at the end of the day, children come first. I would really, really appreciate any advice on this.

Hi guest ,

I would suggest you join the form for some help.

I am a bit confused by your post as the puppy is only 8weeks old, How long have you had him?

Please join and I am sure we can offer some help. There are a lot of people here with experience of training bigger dogs.

BFN
Pam

I really have to say that I'm surprised how much control over the household an 8 week pup has gained within the (has to be) short time he's been with this family. I'm wondering how long he's been in the house. I thought most puppies were homed around 8 weeks old...am I mistaken?

-- and determining "Alpha/Beta" designations between owners so soon????? I just keep shaking my head in disbelief. I could be very much mistaken, but I find this a bit much for a very young puppy to already have accomplished :( :(

"Losing Trust" within this short of a time span by a primary handler (your husband) is not good. If he can't trust your dog at this stage, he likely never will. :( Your 10 year old daughter should not be disciplining him either. It is not a child's job and can easily be mishandled by one so young.

Seriously, if you are not confident about what is happening and this puppy is this much out of control, please consider returning him to the breeder. He has a good chance of gaining a household that is better suited to his nature and (very new) habits while he is a young puppy. Huskies are not for everyone. They require much dedication. You said his parents were "Not particularly calm"...well, if both were like this, it's highly likely his nature will reflect their traits.

If you decide to keep your puppy, please consult with the breeder and look for a Husky fancier's club in your region. They will be able to help you out with the training of your dog.
regards,
toodles

I'm no expert at this, but my dobe has a habit of lunging at people's faces (although he's just trying to give them a big sloppy kiss) and always has done as a pup. A fellow dobe owner taught me to grab hold of Hugo's muzzle with both hands, covering his nose and holding his mouth shut, shoving them backwards with a very loud, shouted, agressive "NO!" This actually pushes them into the sitting position as they try to back away from you. Their prime concern is that their nose is covered which of course they hate and the shouted command shocks them. If the pup shows any attempt at still trying to come forward I just keep hold of his muzzle until he flops onto his back and whines as he's trying to breathe!

This probably sounds very cruel to some people, but my concern was the same as yours - when he's older, stronger and more agressive he just simply cannot get away with this behaviour. Hugo will not lunge at our faces now but I notice that he'll sometimes still try it with new people and I'll tell them to do the same thing as we did. This method does not hurt the dog at all, but it does make it harder for them to breathe so must be used carefully. I understand that this is a very dominant gesture whch might be what your daughter needs to demonstrate to your young pup? I'm sure others know more about this than I but I also use the tenchnique of ignoring the dogs for 5 minutes when I enter the kitchen (where they live) then the first thing I do is make them sit or lie down before making a fuss over them. I always eat before they do (even if it's just a biscuit) and ensure that they see me do this, it's all supposed to re-inforce the 'I am boss' theory or so I'm led to believe.

Good luck.

Guest

Ho wold was the pup when you brought him home?

I have huskies and at the moment I have got pups in the house and I must ay all of them are forever hanging off the end of my trousers/shoes etc etc...

I always put this down to them being pups and demanding attention. As for the lungeing of the face I must say they do not do this although they love on chew on friends/relatives fingers, when they ghet to excited and start nipping harder I tell them "No" and put them on th floor and ignore them for a while.

If the parents like you say have a bad tempermant, it is likely that iit will be passed onto the pups. I suggest you speak to your breeder and tell them what has been hapening, It may just be teething problems as the pup is in a new home/enviroment. But I do think that it is a bit to soon for your husband to loose trust in the pup already, they do need time to adjust.

:)

D:)GS

if your husband has lost trust so soon

then maybe HE is not ready for a puppy and you would be better off returning the pup to the breeder so as a more suitable home for him can be found.

harsh .... yes

but if your husband has given up then what hope does the little mite have of becoming part of the family

Kittysilly

Iagree with you, strictly speaking the pup should have only been in the new home a couple of days max as it is only 8 weeks and we all know that any sensiable breeder does not let a pup go until this stage.

Guest

I think you do need to have a sit and think about your pup, I know he is cute and lovely looks like a fox/wolf but believe me they are not the easiet dog to have. Have you researched the breed before diving in the deep end?

You need to ask yourself are you and your family ready for a puppy espcially a sibe at the moment, If your husband has had enough already God help you all in a few months when the real games begin :D :D

If you do have doubts at all I suggest you retur him back to the breeder, upsetting I know but imajon how you will feel if you haave to return him in a few months... It will beak your heart :(

Have you tried to speak to your breeder? Maybe they could help you overcome these few probs that you have. In my opion (for what it is worth) He does not sound a troubled dog, in fact he just sounds a normal 8 week old husky pup. :)

Hope this helps

D:)GS

It sounds as though you've chosen totally the wrong breed for you. Did you do any research before you bought a siberian Husky? If an 8 week old pup is getting too big, strong and willfull for you to handle, then speak to the breeder and let them have it back and buy a lapdog or something similar instead! Hierarchies take a lot longer to establish than you are indicating in your post. If the breeder of your pup knows your situation, Im sure they would be happier you returned it!